May 21, 2013

Written by

Jamie Samuelsen

Detroit Free Press Special Writer

Jamie Samuelsen, co-host of the “Jamie and Wojo” show at 6 p.m. weekdays on WXYT-FM (97.1), blogs for freep.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Detroit Free Press nor its writers. You can reach him at jamsam22@gmail.com, follow him on Twitter @jamiesamuelsen and read more of his opinions at freep.com/jamie.

Miguel Cabrera’s performance Sunday night got us to thinking: figuring he stays healthy for, say, another seven years, would he be the best Detroit athlete ever by then?

Detroit is the greatest sports city in America.

Slightly biased? Perhaps. But show me another city that embraces four professional teams and two major universities the same way this area embraces the “big six.”

Down south, the college fans may be more passionate, but the pro fans are non-existent. In California, it’s just the opposite. But in Detroit, all the teams matter. And all the teams matter a lot.

Another reason Detroit stands out is the fact that the greatest players in city history may just as well be the greatest players in the history of their sport. Gordie Howe is the best ever and, if he’s not, he’s right there with Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr. Barry Sanders is the greatest running back we’ve ever seen, and he remains so popular today, he made the cover of the Madden video game 15 years after he retired. Ty Cobb remains the standard for all-around play even if he wasn’t the friendliest gentleman of all time. And Isiah Thomas may not be Michael, Magic or Larry, but he’s the greatest small guard ever and he’d be an early pick on any team where the goal was to win games and championships (except, of course, the Dream Team).

The fact that we’re even having the conversation about Cabrera in just his sixth season in Detroit is absurd. But everything that Cabrera has been doing lately is absurd. He won the Triple Crown last season, which some baseball experts claimed was impossible given the depth of talent in the game. He’s leading in two of the three Crown categories this year, which has fueled talk that he could become the first man to ever repeat the feat. He’s trying to become the first right-handed hitter since Rogers Hornsby to win three consecutive batting titles. He’s hitting .387, which automatically makes you wonder if .400 is a possibility.

And as crazy as all those milestones sound, I’d ask this one simple question: Is there anyone out there who’s willing to bet against him?

There is a tendency to declare something great before it’s achieved true greatness. Tiger Woods was the greatest golfer of all time before he took a detour out of his driveway. As a result, the Jack Nicklaus’ Major record (18) still stands. And what was once an assumption is now a much more difficult feat.

So to raise Cabrera past the likes of Howe, Sanders, Cobb, Steve Yzerman, Nicklas Lidstrom and others is premature. Though he won a World Series his rookie season in 2003 with the Florida Marlins, he hasn’t won it yet in Detroit. He won his first MVP award only last season. And prior to last season, if you asked most Tigers fans who the best player was on the team, many would have said Justin Verlander, who put together one of the greatest single pitching seasons of all time in 2011.

There’s little doubt that we’re watching a once in a generation player in Cabrera. But there are a few factors that may stand in his way to becoming the “greatest athlete in Detroit history.”

1) The lack of a title in Detroit: Yzerman’s career wasn’t complete until he won that first Cup. Howe is one of the greatest champions ever as is Isiah. Championships don’t always reflect how great a single player is, especially in a team sport like baseball. But it will be hard to elevate Cabrera if he doesn’t get that ring in the D.

2) The Florida Marlins: As Cabrera was in the midst of making history last year; we talked on the radio about why he wasn’t more popular here in Detroit. The most common complaint was that he wasn’t a homegrown player who spent his entire career here. Personally, I don’t think that matters. Who cares if he got a lot of hits in Miami? He’s writing most of his history in Detroit. As long as he finishes his career here, that’s all that should matter.

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3) The glove: How can a player be one of the greatest ever when he’s one of the worst defensive players at his position? I know fielding is a part of the game, but this is ridiculous. Baseball is about offense and pitching more than anything else. And the things Cabrera can do at the plate in terms of hitting for average and hitting for power are beyond belief. But it was ironic that in Sunday’s three-homer game against the Rangers, he still made a silly fielding mistake (not covering third base on a bunt) that opened up another Texas scoring inning.

But all of these things are symbolic and really don’t measure the athlete on the field. Sanders never won a title in Detroit, but remains as beloved as ever. He also had weaknesses in his game (pass blocking) that made him a less complete player than someone such as Walter Payton or Jim Brown. And his abrupt retirement certainly damaged his image at the end of his career.

But fans only remember the greatness. They remember the runs and the head-swiveling turns and the tackle-breaking jukes. Cabrera is the same way. He may butcher a ball or two at third. But it’s the majestic home runs and the clutch opposite-field doubles we’ll all remember.

Greatness ultimately is in the eye of the beholder. Just look at the endless debate last year over the AL MVP between Cabrera and the Angels’ Mike Trout. For many, it was the ultimate no-brainer. How could you pick against the first Triple Crown winner in 45 years? For others, it was a no-brainer for Trout. He had a much greater WAR. He did more on the field to help his team win. He deserved it more.

It’s the same here. Some will point at Cabrera’s deficiencies and say that they prevent him from being spoken in the same breath as some of the best this city has seen. I disagree. He’s right there. And he’s only 30. If he stays healthy and continues improving (which is the scary thing, he’s only getting better), he’ll deserve mention right there alongside Howe, Sanders, Cobb, Thomas and the rest.

He’s not there yet. And he’s got work to do. But the fact that we can even consider the possibility is a testament to how great Cabrera already is. Detroit is lucky to have seen some of the greatest of the greats. Don’t dismiss the fact that we’re lucky enough to be watching another one.

Columnist Drew Sharp will answer your questions about all things Detroit sports in a live chat at 11 a.m. Wednesday at freep.com/sports. Submit early questions here.